Frequently Asked Questions – Part 8 – Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings
The following list of categories lists questions relating to the MUTCD Part 8 – Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings:
General
- Are trolleys considered light rail transit for the purposes of the MUTCD?
- How are temporary traffic control zones addressed in the MUTCD in urban areas where trolleys operate in a mixed-use alignment (trolleys operate in the street with motor vehicles)?
Signs and Markings
- Some Crossbuck signs at passive grade crossings have a white retroreflective strip on the sign support, and some do not. Shouldn't all Crossbuck signs at passive grade crossings have this strip, to help make the crossings more conspicuous?
- Who is responsible for installing the retroreflective strips on the Crossbuck sign and its support, the public agency or the railroad?
- Is a YIELD or STOP sign required in addition to the Crossbuck sign at all passive highway-rail grade crossings?
- Is a YIELD or STOP sign required in addition to the Crossbuck sign at passive highway-light rail transit grade crossings also?
- Is there a compliance date for the installation of YIELD or STOP signs in addition to the Crossbuck sign at passive grade crossings?
- I understand that there are regulations that require certain commercial vehicles and school buses to stop at all highway-rail grade crossings except those posted as EXEMPT with an R15-3 sign. Who determines whether a grade crossing is exempt from the requirement for certain vehicles to always stop?
- Why is the "LOOK" sign in Part 8 of the MUTCD black-and-white rather than black-and-yellow?
Flashing-Light Signals, Gates, and Traffic Control Signals
- At locations where traffic signals are at or near highway-rail grade crossings, how does the MUTCD address the fact that school buses are required to stop at crossings even if the traffic signal shows a green indication?
- Are there any requirements related to quiet zones and wayside horns in the MUTCD?
- Do the stripes on gate arms have to be vertical rather than diagonal? Is there a compliance date by which these stripes have to be changed?
Part 8 – Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings: Frequently Asked Questions
General
- Q: Are trolleys considered light rail transit for the purposes of the MUTCD?
A: Yes, streetcars and trolleys are considered to be LRT traffic or equipment. Definition 104 in Section 1A.13 in the 2009 MUTCD specifically mentions these types of LRT vehicles.
Return to Top
- Q: How are temporary traffic control zones addressed in the MUTCD in urban areas where trolleys operate in a mixed-use alignment (trolleys operate in the street with motor vehicles)?
A: The MUTCD contains provisions regarding temporary traffic control zones involving LRT operations in Section 8A.08 in the 2009 MUTCD. These apply to both mixed-use and semi-exclusive alignments.
Return to Top
Signs and Markings
- Q: Some Crossbuck signs at passive grade crossings have a white retroreflective strip on the sign support, and some do not. Shouldn't all Crossbuck signs at passive grade crossings have this strip, to help make the crossings more conspicuous?
A: Yes, and eventually they all will have the retroreflective strips. The requirement for these white retroreflective strips on both the front and back of Crossbuck sign supports at passive highway-rail and highway-light rail transit grade crossings was added with the 2000 Edition of the MUTCD. At the same time, a requirement was added to place a white retroreflective strip on the back of each blade of the Crossbuck sign itself at both passive and active grade crossings. For details, see Paragraph 7 of Section 8B.03 and Paragraphs 15 through 18 of Section 8B.04 in the 2009 MUTCD. In the 2000 MUTCD, the FHWA established a 10-year compliance period (until January 17, 2011) for these retroreflective white strips to be added to the Crossbuck sign blades and supports. However, Revision 2 to the 2009 MUTCD revised this compliance date to December 31, 2019 to make it simultaneous with the compliance date for Crossbuck Assemblies. Please also note that Paragraph 17 of Section 8B.04 in the 2009 MUTCD gives the option of using a red retroreflective strip instead of a white retroreflective strip on the front side of a Crossbuck sign support if a YIELD or STOP sign is also installed on the same support.
Return to Top
- Q: Who is responsible for installing the retroreflective strips on the Crossbuck sign and its support, the public agency or the railroad?
A: The responsibility for installation of the strips would be determined by the laws of each State, which might specify either the highway agency owning the road or the railroad company as being responsible for installing and maintaining the Crossbuck sign, its support, and other associated devices.
Return to Top
- Q: Is a YIELD or STOP sign required in addition to the Crossbuck sign at all passive highway-rail grade crossings?
A: Yes, except for those crossings where road users are always directed by an authorized person on the ground to not enter the crossing at all times that an approaching train is about to occupy the crossing. The combination of a YIELD or STOP sign and a Crossbuck sign is called a Crossbuck Assembly. The details of this assembly are described in Section 8B.04 and shown in Figures 8B-2 and 8B-3 in the 2009 MUTCD. Paragraphs 5 and 6 mention that the use of STOP signs in Crossbuck Assemblies at passive crossings should be limited to unusual conditions where requiring all vehicles to make a full stop is deemed essential by an engineering study that considers factors such as lines of sight, highway and railroad characteristics, and crash history. Indiscriminate use of the STOP sign at all or many passive grade crossings can result in poor compliance, which increases the collision risk at the crossing.
Return to Top
- Q: Is a YIELD or STOP sign required in addition to the Crossbuck sign at passive highway-light rail transit grade crossings also?
A: Yes, but only at highway-LRT grade crossings where a Crossbuck sign is used. Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Section 8B.03 in the 2009 MUTCD indicate that the use of a Crossbuck sign is required at all highway-rail grade crossings, but is optional at highway-LRT grade crossings.
Return to Top
- Q: Is there a compliance date for the installation of YIELD or STOP signs in addition to the Crossbuck sign at passive grade crossings?
A: Yes, the FHWA established a 10-year compliance period (until December 31, 2019) in the 2009 MUTCD for the installation of Crossbuck Assemblies at passive grade crossings.
Return to Top
- Q: I understand that there are regulations that require certain commercial vehicles and school buses to stop at all highway-rail grade crossings except those posted as EXEMPT with an R15-3 sign. Who determines whether a grade crossing is exempt from the requirement for certain vehicles to always stop?
A: Even if a YIELD sign is posted at a highway-rail grade crossing as a part of a Crossbuck Assembly, the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR 392.10) requires drivers of vehicles carrying passengers for hire, school buses carrying students, and vehicles carrying hazardous materials to stop before crossing the tracks. State or local laws or regulations establish which crossings may be posted as "exempt" from this requirement to stop, except when a train, locomotive, or other railroad equipment is approaching or occupying the highway-rail grade crossing, or the driver's view is blocked.
Return to Top
- Q: Why is the "LOOK" sign in Part 8 of the MUTCD black-and-white rather than black-and-yellow?
A: The LOOK (R15-8) sign is designed as a regulatory sign (black-on-white) because it reminds road users of the regulatory requirement to look both ways for trains before crossing, and it is placed at the point where this regulation applies, rather than in advance.
Return to Top
Flashing-Light Signals, Gates, and Traffic Control Signals
- Q: At locations where traffic signals are at or near highway-rail grade crossings, how does the MUTCD address the fact that school buses are required to stop at crossings even if the traffic signal shows a green indication?
A: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations govern the operation of school buses and other types of commercial motor vehicles' operations at highway-rail grade crossings. This is not an MUTCD issue.
Return to Top
- Q: Are there any requirements related to quiet zones and wayside horns in the MUTCD?
A: Yes, quiet zone treatments are covered in Section 8A.07 in the 2009 MUTCD and wayside horn systems are covered in Section 8C.07. Both sections refer the reader to Title 49, Part 222, of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR Part 222).
Return to Top
- Q: Do the stripes on gate arms have to be vertical rather than diagonal? Is there a compliance date by which these stripes have to be changed?
A: Yes, Paragraph 5 of Section 8C.04 in the 2009 MUTCD requires that the gate stripes be vertical. The FHWA did not establish a compliance date for this requirement, so the existing gate arms may remain in place until they reach the end of their useful service life or until systematic upgrading, whichever occurs first, per the provisions of Paragraphs 21 through 24 of the MUTCD Introduction. Paragraph 6 in Section 8C.04 also addresses the issue of gate replacement. All new gates shall have vertical stripes.
Return to Top
Return to Frequently Asked Questions.
